Wednesday, February 2, 2011

BMW DesignworksUSA Pens Metro Inspiro for Siemens

In the summer of 2010, German industrial conglomerate Siemens commissioned BMW Group subsidiary DesignworksUSA, to develop the design of its new Metro Inspiro, and this here is the result of their work. BMW's design division said it focused on combining the demands of the Siemens company, potential operators, passengers as well as the environment, while also offering additional possibilities for individualization.

Among other features, the Metro Inspiro boasts large entrances, optionally with slide and swing or outside sliding doors, and wide passageways that according to the company, "offer a generous feeling of space". The sense of space is further enhanced by the absence of any electrical or appliance cabinets in the passenger area.

Siemens has already began using the new design to participate in open competitive bidding for inner-city passenger train fleets around the globe, with the German company estimating that the global growth potential for this sector to be around four percent.

The Metro Inspiro will make its production debut in Poland's capital city of Warsaw. The city's metro operator, Metro Warszawskie, has placed a €272 million (US$375 million at today’s exchange rates) order for 35 six-car metro trains, with delivery due to start in autumn 2012.

Warsaw already has one underground line, which is approximately 23 kilometers or 14 miles long and serves 21 stations, but the city has already began constructing a second line. According to official figures, between 1998 and 2008, ridership tripled annually to a figure well over 126 million passengers. A total of 15 trains will be used on the first metro line and 20 trains are ordered for the new constructed line. An option for the further extension of Line 2 will allow 17 more trains of the same type to be added within the next three years.